Dining & drinking in Pagosa Springs, Colorado

There’s little doubt that one of the joys of traveling is dining and drinking along the way. Pagosa Springs, Colorado has its fair share of boutique eateries and brew pubs, and we ate our way through several while we were in town last month.

We had hit The Rose on our first morning in Pagosa and had breakfast with John Wayne. I’m not kidding. Photos of John Wayne are plastered all over this place, in addition to a life-size cardboard cutout of the man.

Under the watchful eye of the Duke, our coffee cups never ran dry, and breakfast at this tiny restaurant was cheap and delicious. I had a southwestern breakfast smothered in some of the best homemade green chili I’ve ever had.

If you are in a hurry the Pagosa Baking Company gets rave reviews, but wasn’t open early enough for us to grab something on our way out of town, otherwise we would have check them out.

Breweries in Pagosa Springs

Pagosa Brewing is the oldest brewery in town and one of the most unique breweries that I’ve visited. They have a small tap room and gigantic outside beer garden, with a large Oktoberfest-style tent.

Beer connoisseurs should take a tour of the brewery because owner, Tony Simmons, has an eclectic collection of kettles he’s accumulated over the years. If you get an opportunity, chat with Tony, he’s a wealth of knowledge about beer and the beer scene in Colorado and beyond.

I am not a fan of fruity beers, but Pagosa Brewing’s Peachy Peach is a new favorite. The sweetness vanishes quickly, so that only the crisp, pleasant beer taste remains on your tongue.

Ryan, who has been fanatical about spicy beers lately, paired the Chili Verde Cerveza with a scrumptious Colorado bratwurst. I had The Godfather pizza (chicken and crumbled bacon in alfredo sauce – oh my). Tony recommended adding green chiles – a good suggestion because I believe green chiles should be part of every meal.

Riff Raff Brewing Company opened on May 2013, in downtown Pagosa. Located inside a Victorian style home with a big front porch for alfresco dining, Riff Raff is not only known for its beer, but their innovative food.

I paired a Stepchild American Red with the Trippin’ Hippie Burger – mushrooms, roasted garlic and ale mayo with Jack cheese. Ryan was more adventurous and ordered the Drunken Pig, a pulled pork sandwich with sriracha mayo and kim chi style relish. Very daring diners can order the goat burger. People seem to love it, but I love goats and I couldn’t bring myself to try it.

Tacos in Pagosa Springs

Sipping margaritas and listening to a Hemmingway-look-alike play Jimmy Buffet covers on Kip’s Grill & Cantina‘s patio turned into one of our most memorable nights in Pagosa Springs. This place is a little bit of Mexico in the heart of southwest Colorado. The margaritas are strong, the tacos are to die for, and we can’t wait to go back. It was definitely a “highlight of the trip” type of dining experience.

All of our dining experiences in Pagosa Springs were memorable, and its not just the flavors, but the spirit of the people in this town that makes dining and drinking in Pagosa extra special.

I’m ready to try out some spicy beers! I had a cinnamon beer, which isn’t really spicy, but was delicious and made by a brewery that does spicy beers. All of the places you visited sound like great fun!

Katherine,
I have never heard of a cinnamon beer! Sounds like it might be nice around Christmas time. Pagosa Springs has a great food scene for being such a small town. We were very pleased! Thanks for stopping by HeidiTown!